Sharks' Logan Couture out with head injury

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EDMONTON, Alberta — Logan Couture will miss the Sharks game against the Edmonton Oilers Monday, the result of a head injury suffered against the Vancouver Canucks Friday night.

Head coach Pete DeBoer confirmed Sunday that Couture suffered a concussion when he took a shoulder to the jaw area from Canucks forward Alexander Burmistrov at 5:12 of the third period Friday. DeBoer labeled Couture’s concussion as a “day-to-day” injury.

The Sharks coach said that his team’s leading goal scorer hasn’t attempted any form of physical exertion since he suffered the head injury in Vancouver.

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“We’ll see how he feels every day and go through that (concussion) protocol, and see where that takes us,” the Sharks coach said.

Burmistrov isn’t receiving any supplementary discipline from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for the hit.

With Couture on the sidelines, Tomas Hertl moved back to the center position at practice in Edmonton Sunday, skating in the middle of the Sharks second line with Kevin Labanc and Mikkel Boedker, who’s missed seven-consecutive games with a lower-body injury.

DeBoer said that it “looks like” Boedker will be able to rejoin the Sharks lineup Monday.

After skating Hertl as his third line center throughout most of the second half last year, DeBoer moved the 24-year-old Czech back to the wing for the third game of the season on Oct. 12, giving Couture’s line more scoring punch in the wake of Patrick Marleau’s departure to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Couture was putting together a career year with Hertl on his left wing, leading the Sharks in goals (15) and points (26). Monday’s potential second line combination of Labanc, Hertl and Boedker have combined to score just 13 goals this season, two fewer than Couture total.

When Couture missed 30 games with a pair of leg injuries in 2015-16, Marleau took his place in the middle of the Sharks second line. But with Marleau in Toronto, DeBoer will be forced to give Hertl another look at center, a move he’s “really comfortable” with.

The bigger challenge, according to DeBoer, is finding a way to replace Hertl’s contributions on the wing.

“He’s played center for a long time,” the Sharks coach said. “That’s the nice luxury we have. We have a guy that’s capable of jumping in there and now we need to get some people around our centerman there to step up and fill some of those voids.”

Hertl said that moving over to center won’t require a major adjustment. He already takes a large chunk of his line’s faceoffs and the Sharks forwards play interchangeable roles on the ice in DeBoer’s system.

“I’m ready,” Hertl said. “If (Couture) is missing for a little bit, I’ll be ready for his spot.”

Although Couture’s injury is being labeled as day-to-day, head injuries are inherently unpredictable, so he could be out for one game or several months.

Couture suffered a pair of head injuries during his junior hockey career with the Ottawa 67’s last decade, which could impact the symptoms of his current concussion.

Although Couture became a poster child for hockey toughness during the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring, playing six games with wiring and plastic holding his mouth together, he understands the long-term health risks of playing with a concussion.

Over the summer, Couture hosted a charity event in his hometown of London, Ontario to raise funds for concussion research and awareness.

In training camp, he told the Mercury News that concussions are an injury that he wouldn’t attempt to play through.

“I know the consequences down the line,” Couture said on Sept. 29. “It’s up to the player, as well, to realize that you’ve only got one brain and that injury is very, very serious.”

DeBoer insisted that Couture won’t be returning to the ice until he’s cleared of symptoms.

“We’re going to take the proper protocol,” he said. “These guys are well educated on these types of things. Everyone will make the right decision.”

In the meantime, the Sharks will try to make due without their top scorer against the Oilers in Edmonton.

Captain Joe Pavelski believes the Sharks are capable of absorbing Couture’s loss in the short term.

“Anytime you lose a top player like Logan, you hope it’s for a short period of time,” the Sharks captain said. “If it is a short period of time, it can be beneficial at times. Guys get bigger roles, different situations. But definitely, we’d like to have him in there.”